I think of myself as a plain human being who happens to be an American.

Writers talk about the agony of writing; I talk about the agony of not writing.

Why didn't children ever see that they could damage and harm their parents as much as parents could damage and harm children?

I rewrite everything, almost idiotically. I rewrite and work and work, and rewrite and rewrite some more.

I grew up in an agnostic broad-minded family.

I believed in the faith of faith without acknowledging his quality of being an absolute truth.

There is a difference between depression and sadness. I am happy to be sad.

No matter what your religion is, be sure that it teaches you to treat other people as you would expect them to treat you in return. There is a great joy in peace and unity.

You don't take a class you're thrown into motherhood and learn from experience.

The Nation State as such is totally a construction: what we feel for it in terms of habits, traditions, countryside or nature could exist without the notion of Nation.

Who are you to end a war? I am here to tell you - who are you not to?

Only God sees the sparrow fall, but even God doesn't do anything about it.

The first task of a leader is to keep hope alive.

Suicide doesn't solve your problems. It only makes them infinitely, un-countably worse.

But I'm not worried about seeking out the approval of others - that high school thing of joining the club.